Explorations 2025 | FAQ
What are the dates for Explorations 2025?
Explorations will take place between Thursday 12 June - Tuesday 17 June, 2025. Please note programming is scheduled through all listed nights, going until Wednesday morning 18 June, 2025.
When will tickets for 2025 be available?
The next opportunity to purchase Explorations tickets will be January 28, 2025. Be sure to register for the sale and keep an eye on your inbox and our socials for more details.
Note: New accommodation options will be available in the next sale.
How does the ballot system work?
Registrants will be randomly selected and emailed access to enter the booking site, ensuring a fair pre-sale process for everyone who has registered. This process will give you enough time to choose accommodation and complete check out. More details to come soon.
Travel
Where is the festival located?
Explorations takes place in Dhërmi, a coastal village on the Albanian Riviera located between the cities of Sarandë and Vlorë. It is the most beautiful spot on the entire coastline and a true hidden gem. If you joined us before, you know this already!
What is the best route to get to Explorations?
There are two routes to get to Dhërmi:
- From Corfu
New for 2025, we will be working with the existing public ferry system running from Corfu to Saranda, Albania. Discounted public ferry tickets, as well as bus tickets from Saranda to Dhërmi will be available at a later date. Please stay tuned for more information.
- From Tirana
The second route is a 2-hour 45-minute ride via minibus or private taxi from Albania’s capital, Tirana. Flight times to Tirana are also under 3 hours from most major European cities. You will be able to book this transfer option during the pre-sale.
Where can I find out transfer times?
For transfers from Tirana, timetables will be sent out ahead of the pre-sale and also available for viewing in the booking portal.
Ferry times and Saranda port bus transfer timings will be shared at a later date.
When will you take my flight information for the transfers?
If you’re using taxis, we will let you know when we need your flight details, as well as how they need to be input.
Do you have to stay for the full week?
Due to the limited number of hotels in Dhërmi, the hotels closer to the festival have a minimum stay policy.
- Hotels in the festival site: 5 night minimum
- Hotels in Dhermi beach: 4 night minimum
- Hotels in Perivolos: 3 night minimum
- Hotels in Drymades: 3 night minimum
We recommend staying for the whole week to make the most out of your trip.
The programming is designed to give days to party, relax and explore the incredible surroundings. Besides the music, we also offer a range of holiday and wellness activities. Trust us, once you get here you won't want to leave.
Can I explore Albania myself before or after the festival?
Absolutely, we strongly recommend going out and exploring the country either before or after the festival.
Please note that there is no car hire available in Dhërmi, but you can get a taxi to or from Saranda to hire a car and explore further.
Do I need a visa or travel permit to travel to Explorations?
As our guests travel from all over the world, we recommend that you visit your own Governments’ website, and research the visa requirements from your own country.
If you are travelling from the UK via Corfu please note that tourists from the UK will be able to travel to countries in the Schengen area, which includes Greece, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. This applies if you travel as a tourist. Which includes attending cultural or sports events.
If you are travelling to Greece and other Schengen countries without a visa, make sure your whole visit is within the 90-day limit. Visits to Schengen countries within the previous 180 days before you travel count towards your 90 days.
If you are flying straight to Albania, please note that British citizens can enter and remain in Albania for a maximum of 90 days in every 6-month period without a visa. Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 3 months from the date of entry into Albania.
How does Brexit affect travel to Albania?
The majority of Explorations customers travel to Explorations via Corfu. Please see the above question for more details about visa requirements for UK citizens.
What about health insurance?
While we cannot recommend specific insurance companies or policies, we advise that all our customers do extensive research around their own insurance policy to ensure they are covered extensively.
Tickets
I have questions about the booking process, what should I do?
We recommend starting with our “Planning Your Trip” page, where you'll find detailed information on the booking process and everything you need to know. If you still have any questions, feel free to contact our customer service team at [email protected].
How much are tickets?
A festival ticket and hotel stay starts at only £340pp. Please note that all tickets to the festival are sold with accommodation, and the final price for the package depends on the hotel type, length of stay, and transfers.
Do you offer payment plans?
For the November pre-sale, you can reserve your Explorations package with just a £75 deposit per person and pay the rest across multiple instalments and paydays. The specific dates will be communicated to you when booking.
The initial deposit must be paid by the person making the booking. Once the booking has been created, each person will be able to pay their balance separately.
Please remember to make the necessary arrangements so the lead passenger has everyone's deposits ready when tickets go on sale.
What is the accommodation like?
There are options for everyone, from cosy 3* hotels to exotic beach huts and fancy 5* hotels, all at excellent prices. The majority of hotels are within the 3* and 4* range, with a small selection of other hotels.
Having your own shower and a comfy bed to rest after a little too much dancing is one of the aspects that make Explorations such a different festival experience.
Does any of the accommodation come with a kitchen or cooking space?
Some of our apartment options include cooking facilities. Be sure to check the apartment descriptions when booking for more details.
How big are the rooms?
Most of the accommodation options can host 2-3 people, with the largest option accommodating up to 6 during the November pre-sale. For larger groups, we recommend splitting across multiple rooms. You can book several rooms in the same hotel or nearby to keep everyone together.
Make sure to coordinate with your group ahead of time on how you’ll divide the rooms, so you know exactly what to look for when tickets go on sale (e.g. 3 rooms with 2 people in each).
Are there any options for solo travellers?
Yes there are some options for solo travellers although these are very limited. We recommend booking as soon as tickets go on sale as these usually sell out quickly.
If you cannot find anything suitable, you can join the Explorations Find a Friend Facebook group to meet others and share accommodation.
How far is the accommodation from the festival?
There are 4 areas where you can stay: Festival site, Dhërmi, Perivolos and Drymades.
Hotels within walking distance
Festival site: All of this accommodation is within the boundaries of the actual festival site. These hotels are within a couple minutes walk from the stages. As good as it gets! There are only a handful hotels here and are very sought after which means they sell out very quickly.
Dhërmi: All the accommodation around Dhërmi beach is also within a 5-10 minute walk from the stages. Hotels here are in high demand too and usually sell out quite quickly.
Hotels within the shuttle bus route
Drymades: The neighbouring beach to Dhërmi is a 10 minute drive away from the festival and offers a great selection of shops, restaurants and beach bars during the day.
Perivolos: The area in between Dhërmi and Drymades, only a 5-minute drive away from the festival site.
We operate a shuttle bus service between Dhërmi, Perivolos and Drymades so even if your accommodation is not within walking distance, it’s still easy to get to and from the festival site.
Can I buy tickets without accommodation?
All Explorations tickets come bundled with accommodation to ensure guests get the best-priced options during the festival week in 2025 and beyond.
Our goal is to provide a seamless holiday experience, and by managing the accommodation, this helps us ensure a stress-free event for everyone. We work with hotels and apartments on the same commission as platforms like Airbnb, which helps keep your costs down.
Mainstage Festivals reserves the right to terminate contracts of guests who book multiple rooms, either via Mainstage Festivals or a third party. If it is believed that there is intention of only using one of the rooms, and either leaving the other empty, or unlawfully reselling them without authorisation from Mainstage Festivals, we reserve the right to terminate your contract. Please refer to our terms for further information.
What happens if someone in my group can no longer make it?
Think of this as any other summer holiday. If someone can no longer make it, you can either find a replacement, or cover the cost between the remaining people in the group. In some cases it may be possible to change to a smaller accommodation, but this will always be subject to availability. Please note, name changes will be free of charge until May 1, 2025. Please reach out to [email protected] to get in touch with our customer service team to determine next steps.
Can I change the name on my booking?
Yes, you can change the name on your booking via the online booking portal. Name changes are free of charge until May 1, 2025. After that date, you will need to reach out to [email protected] to update a name on your booking, and will incur a £55 admin charge.
If I have an empty bed in my room, can I add someone to the booking at a later date?
Yes, that’s no problem! Adding a person to your booking is easy if you have space in your accommodation. Just follow these simple steps:
- Go to the ‘Change My Booking’ tab in your ‘Manage Booking’ portal.
- The system will calculate the cost for adding a new guest, including the festival wristband.
- The new guest will need to pay a deposit to secure their spot in the booking.
I have a query about the room I have booked, do I need to contact the accommodation directly?
Please contact our customer service team for any questions relating to your accommodation. We will liaise with the owners directly on your behalf and come back to you with more information. The email is [email protected].
Can I buy a ticket from someone else?
Please remember that Explorations tickets are only available through our official website. If you purchase a ticket from any other source, it’s likely to be fake. Do not buy tickets directly from individuals posting on social media, as we expect scammers will be targeting our event in 2025.
We will not issue e-tickets until closer to the event, so any claims of having an e-ticket beforehand are definitely fake. Tickets that contain a QR code or barcode should not be trusted.
If you have any concerns or suspicions, please reach out to our customer service team at [email protected].
Can I buy tickets if I'm local?
Local tickets will be available via our booking site nearer to the event. You can join the waiting list here for local tickets and we will notify you when these go on sale.
What is your cancellation policy?
You can read our terms and conditions here.
Festival Information
What is the easiest way to get to Explorations from my accommodation during the festival?
Many hotels are within walking distance of Explorations. If you're staying in the quieter areas of the Riviera, there will be a regular shuttle bus service running to and from the festival for guests in Drymades or Dhërmi town. Shuttle bus tickets can be purchased along with your ferry transfers when they become available.
What kind of amenities are available in Dhërmi?
Dhërmi is a small coastal village. There are medical services, bars, restaurants and several small shops. There is only one ATM in Dhërmi and another in Drymades. You will need cash for restaurants and local shops but the festival area (bars, festival market) are contactless.
What are the food/drink costs like at Explorations?
Restaurants are cheap and a meal will cost between €5-15. Some may increase their prices, but you’ll definitely be able to find cheap meals around the village.
Supermarkets are limited but do sell alcohol. Drink prices will vary from bar to bar ranging from €4-8 euros depending on the drink.
Explorations is a cashless festival and all bars as well as a selection of restaurants and food stands will only accept payment from your wristband. More information about this will be shared closer to the event.
Besides the music, what else is available?
We’ve crafted the festival program to ensure you have ample time to explore Dhërmi and relax on the beach. Our popular wellness program and Gjipe Beach parties will be returning in 2025, and you can add these to your booking when you purchase your tickets.
Additionally, we have a range of exciting new activities and adventures in store for you. Stay tuned for more details coming soon.
Music
Where can I find the lineup?
Phase one of the lineup will be announced soon - keep your eyes peeled!
When are the main acts / headliners performing?
The main festival programming takes place between Thursday, 12 June and the early morning of Wednesday, 18 June 2025.
When are the running times of stages?
The full schedule will be released closer to the event. Expect music from the afternoon until the early hours across multiple stages.
Accessibility
Where can I find information about accessible accommodation?
Please email us if you have any access requirements on [email protected]
Where can I find information on the venues?
We will provide viewing areas where possible for accessible customers and PA's only. The areas will have a good line of sight to the stage and seating if required.
Empire, Splendor, & The Cove are all accessible via ramps, although some parts of the venues are via stair access.
Unfortunately, Gjipe is not currently accessible for some mobility impairments as the boats are unable to safely load & unload due to rough seas and steep gangways.
Can assistance animals attend the event?
Assistance animals are welcome within the festival site. Please note, some areas of the festival may not be suitable for an animal due to loud noise.
Proof may be required that the assistance animal is registered with a recognised body.